Hiryu (Japanese Flying Dragon) was a Japanese aircraft carrier, the keel of which was laid in 1936, launched in November 1937, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in July 1939. The ship was 227.4 meters long, 22.3 meters wide, and had a full displacement of 21,900 tons. The maximum speed of the aircraft carrier Hiryu oscillated around 33-34 knots, and its main armament consisted of 73 on-board planes.
Numerous design solutions on Hiryu were the result of the experience gained by the Japanese during the operation of other aircraft carriers - primarily Hosho, Kaga and Akagi. As a result, already in the course of design, a lot of emphasis was placed on the maximum speed of the new aircraft carrier and its greatest possible impact force, expressed in a large number of on-board aircraft. On the other hand, the ship's armor was treated as secondary, as it was completely inadequate to protect the ship from an air attack. In parallel with Hiryu, his sister unit - Soryu - was being built - but the two ships differed quite significantly, e.g. in the location of the superstructure. During World War II, Hiryu participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and in early 1942, his on-board planes took part in a raid on Port Darwin in Australia. In April this year, Hiryu also took part in the famous rally of the Japanese fleet to the Indian Ocean. He also took part in the Battle of Midway (June 1942) where he was sunk by American on-board planes, along with his commander - Rear Admiral Yamaguchi